NEW midfielder Ryan Tunnicliffe is determined to prove the doubters wrong and get his career back on track during his season-long loan at Blackburn Rovers.

The 21-year-old was one of the stars of Manchester United’s FA Youth Cup winning team of 2011.

But his progress has been halted since following his former United coach Rene Meulensteen to Fulham in January.

Tunnicliffe started two matches before Meulensteen’s two-month stint as Cottagers boss came to an abrupt end.

It became clear that new Fulham manager Felix Magath did not favour the former England U17 international and, just 25 days after joining the club, he was shipped out to Wigan for what would prove to be an unsuccessful loan spell.

Tunnicliffe returned to the relegated Cottagers before the campaign out was out and played in their final game in the top flight.

But he has yet to feature for Magath this season and when the German made it clear he would be willing to send him out on loan, Tunnicliffe jumped at the chance to join their Championship rivals Rovers.

“It’s been tough,” said Tunnicliffe, who rejected the advances of Ipswich, where he enjoyed a loan spell in the first half of last season, to make the move to Ewood Park.

“I’ve been professional, training hard and keeping myself in shape, so that if the gaffer wanted me to play I would have been ready to play.

“But he’s let me go out on loan and now I’m just ready to get back into action, play some competitive football, try and get my career back on track and do well here.

“Hopefully I can show everyone how good I am – I’ve got a bit of a chip on my shoulder as it’s not worked out for me at Wigan or Fulham.

“I say chip on my shoulder because I feel people are probably sat there saying, ‘he’s not that good or whatever’, so the plan is to come here and show how good I am.”

Tunnicliffe was regarded as one of the top talents of a United U18s side which also included the likes of Paul Pogba, Ravel Morrison and former on-loan Rovers defender Michael Keane.

Current Rovers trio Corry Evans, Ben Marshall and Josh King – who has recovered from illness to join up with the Norway squad for their international friendly with England at Wembley tonight – were also at Old Trafford at the same time as Tunnicliffe.

That has helped him settle in at Brockhall straight away.

“I’m 110 per cent committed and I’ve got a big will to win,” added Tunnicliffe, who will be ineligible to play against parent club Fulham at Craven Cottage on September 20 and in January’s reverse clash.

“The gaffer spoke to me about how he likes to play, with a high pressing game and everyone working for each other, so I think I will fit perfectly into that.

“I’m a box-to-box midfielder who likes to do a bit of everything.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve got one asset which is my best. It’s just about getting about, getting on it, helping us play, and doing whatever I can to help us win.”